‘‘Really?’’
‘‘Really. When I was young, I would have gone to Africa or China had God called me there. I dreamed of adventuring in California or sailing the open sea.’’
‘‘You did?’’ Opal sniffed and stared at the same time.
‘‘I did, but life doesn’t always give us what we dream of, and we learn to enjoy what we have and are. That’s part of being the kind of Christian Paul talks about. Being content with what we have.’’
‘‘But I thought, I mean you . . .’’
‘‘Oh, I like nice things. I try to be the best mother and wife I can be. I like order and beauty around me. But life here can be very circumscribed, as you well know. Now, let’s get back to you.’’
‘‘But if I had stayed in school that day—’’ ‘‘Opal, dear. That was an innocent action. True, you might have been more careful, but that man chose to sin against you.
That is where the fault lies.’’
‘‘I could have handled it differently. I goaded him.’’
‘‘Yes, you might have done differently, but we can never go back and undo what we did. We learn from our errors and go on. God does not want you to haul this burden of guilt around for the rest of your life.’’
‘‘But—’’ ‘‘Did you tell those men to go out and beat Atticus within an inch of his life?’’
‘‘No.’’
‘‘Of course not. And the men went out to keep those two criminals from committing more violence. That too was beyond your control.’’
‘‘I still wish I had shot him at the time.’’
‘‘That, my dear Opal, is what is within your control.’’
‘‘But it is too late.’’
‘‘I know. And I will thank God for the rest of my life that you don’t have to carry the burden of killing a man.’’
‘‘So what do I do?’’
‘‘You go home, and you help the Robertsons deal with their grief. You comfort Atticus, if he will let you, and you strive to listen for God’s direction in everything you do.’’
Opal sat up and turned to face Mrs. Brandon. ‘‘You think He’d tell me?’’
‘‘Oh yes. In His Word and in your heart. God our Father loves you, Opal dear. He always has, and He always will. On that I will stake my life.’’
Mrs. Brandon leaned forward and cupped her hand around Opal’s cheek and jawline. ‘‘I will miss you, my dear. I was hoping you could learn to be happy here again and go to school with my children, but I know God has something special for you to do back home. I do see how much you love it there.’’
‘‘You’ll come to visit?’’
‘‘I would love to. Perhaps next summer.’’
Mrs. Klaus came out and set a tray on the table between the two loungers. ‘‘I brought some more lemonade and cookies.’’
Mrs. Brandon stood and helped Opal to her feet. ‘‘Come, let’s enjoy our treat, and then we will help you pack.’’
The next morning the Brandons waved her off at the train. They were sending her home with an entire trunk of new clothes and gifts for the family.
‘‘Thank you.’’ Opal hugged Mrs. Brandon one last time. ‘‘I can never tell—’’ ‘‘Just let it all go, my dear. It is over.’’ She leaned back and cupped Opal’s face in her gloved hands. ‘‘There is always a place for you here, though I doubt Ruby will let you leave again.’’
‘‘No, with two little ones, she will really have her hands full. And besides, I need to teach Per to ride.’’
‘‘He just learned to walk.’’
‘‘Oh, he runs already, and you should see him on horseback. You’d think he could fly the way his arms get to going so fast.’’ Opal hugged Jason, or at least as much as he could stand. ‘‘Remember, you are spending part of next summer on the ranch. You might even get to meet your hero.’’
‘‘And you’ll send me a rope so I can practice up?’’
‘‘Yes. Wish I’d brought mine so you’d have a head start. If you see Mr. Roosevelt, greet him for me.’’
Lastly she hugged Alicia and then Penelope, who burst into tears. ‘‘I so wanted you to stay and go to school with us,’’ she said, wiping her eyes. ‘‘But I know how you love the ranch and need to go home. You’ll write to us?’’
Her own eyes wet, Opal gave Penelope an extra squeeze. ‘‘Yes. And you write to me too.’’
She looked over her shoulder and waved one last time before entering the railcar and finding a seat by the window so she could wave even more. Now that she was truly on her way home, she could feel sad that she was leaving. And appreciate more what the Brandons had done for her.
But the train could not go fast enough to suit her.
Several days later, on July 31, 1886, she stood in the doorway as the train pulled into Medora, brakes screeching and steam billowing. If she hadn’t had all those skirts in the way, she’d have leaped down before it fully stopped. Instead, she waited for the conductor to put the step in place and assist her down. Her teal blue traveling gown had a slight bustle with the front skirt in a straight panel falling just to the tops of her fine leather boots. She’d just put the jacket back on, since even moving, the train felt like an oven. The tiny boat-shaped hat nestled in the waves of her hair, and a feather swooped backward.
‘‘Opal, is that really you?’’ Rand held Per in one arm.
‘‘Per?’’ Opal stopped at the sight of Per hiding his head on his pa’s shoulder. ‘‘He’s forgotten me.’’
‘‘No. He just doesn’t recognize you dressed so lovely.’’ Ruby gave her little sister a long hug, then stepped back to look at her again. ‘‘We sent them a girl, and they returned a young lady to us. Opal, you look like you stepped right out of the pages of
Godey’s
Lady’s Book
.’’
‘‘Wait until you see the rest of the things. I don’t know where I’ll ever wear them out here.’’ She dug in her reticule and pulled out a packet of peppermint drops. ‘‘Think this will bribe him?’’ She handed it to Per. ‘‘Candy. Put it in your mouth.’’
He did so, then pulled it out again and waved it in the air, a grin buckling his cheeks. One swipe caught his father on the cheek.
‘‘Get that in my mustache, young fellow, and we will have a serious discussion.’’
‘‘That’s my trunk over there.’’
Rand handed Per to Ruby. ‘‘You take him. I’ll get the trunk.’’
Per on her hip, Ruby linked arms with Opal. ‘‘I’ll never be able to tell you how much I missed you.’’
‘‘They want me to come back. I think at least Jason will come here next summer. I have to send him a rope with instructions. I can see him roping Mr. Klaus.’’
‘‘No, Per.’’ Ruby kept him from grabbing Opal’s hat.
‘‘You should have seen the look on Alicia’s face when I told her I usually wear britches.’’ Opal held her skirt with one hand while Rand handed her up to the wagon seat. Ruby and Per climbed over the wheel and into the back. Rand stepped up on his side and unwrapped the reins from around the brake handle.
‘‘I should just let you drive them home. Get you back in the swing of things.’’
Opal turned her gloved hands palms up. ‘‘I think I lost all my calluses. I’m going to have to start toughening them up again.’’ She paused and turned to look at Rand. ‘‘Did you sell the filly?’’
‘‘Yes. Mrs. de Mores bought her.’’
‘‘Medora bought the filly?’’
‘‘For four hundred dollars. All because you had trained her so well. She said you should come by and visit her if you like. She also said she would like you to go along on the next hunting trip.’’
Opal leaned against the seat back. ‘‘I can’t believe you got that much.’’
‘‘I was some surprised. She asked how much, and off the top of my head, I said five hundred. She said three. I said four and she said sold.’’
‘‘Firelight’s a flashy mount and rides nice and easy.’’ Opal sighed. ‘‘You sold the gelding also?’’
‘‘Yep.’’
‘‘So I don’t have anything to work with.’’
‘‘Oh, I wouldn’t say that.’’
‘‘Why?’’
Rand turned and looked over his shoulder and winked at Ruby. ‘‘Should we tell her or make her wait?’’
‘‘Tell her.’’
‘‘No. I think she should wait.’’
‘‘Rand.’’ Opal stopped for a moment and inhaled fresh, sweet Dakotah air. ‘‘All right, I’ll wait, but two can play at that game.’’
Ruby laughed, and that set Per to laughing, which made Opal giggle. She reached up and unpinned her hat, then unbuttoned the pearl buttons going up the points from the sleeve hems and those up the front of the jacket.
‘‘Getting warm?’’ Rand glanced over at her. ‘‘You do truly look lovely, young lady. Welcome home.’’
‘‘Thank you.’’ Opal nibbled her lip. ‘‘How are the Robert-sons?’’
‘‘The girls are waiting for you to teach them ranch stuff. Their pa never did want them helping at roundup or such. Other than the cooking and serving,’’ he added after a poke from Ruby.
‘‘I promised them you would go over as soon as you got home and settled.’’ Ruby reached up to take Opal’s hand.
‘‘You mean change my clothes?’’
‘‘Well, I didn’t exactly expect you to come home looking like a fashion plate, but then, I wasn’t surprised either.’’
‘‘There are some things for you in my trunk too. Although what you and I think of as serviceable and what they think don’t exactly match.’’
‘‘I’m sure.’’ Ruby unwound Per’s fingers from her hair. He’d used her as a standing post and grabbed whatever he could when the wagon hit a rut. ‘‘We have some more good news at home too.’’
‘‘What?’’
‘‘We’ll be having another baby.’’
‘‘Twins?’’ Opal turned, shock turning eyes and mouth to Os.
‘‘No. Little Squirrel is in the family way too. She’s so happy.
Linc is popping his buttons.’’
‘‘How wonderful.’’
And Atticus? How is he?
‘‘Thought I’d go see Atticus soon as I can.’’
When neither of them commented, Opal turned to look at her sister. Rand had donned his poker face.
‘‘All right. What is it you don’t want me to know?’’
‘‘The Gradys are leaving the badlands.’’
Rand’s words struck like tiny arrow points, each drawing blood.
‘‘Atticus too?’’
‘‘Yes. He’s still too weak to manage on his own, and though the fits seem to have tapered off, he has to use a crutch to get around.’’
‘‘His foot was broken too?’’
Rand nodded. ‘‘We don’t see much of him.’’
‘‘Have you gone over there?’’
‘‘They were at the burial. That’s when we learned they were leaving.’’
‘‘Atticus never answered my letters.’’
‘‘His right side is more affected.’’
He could have had Robert write for him. Dear, gentle Atticus, what has
all this done to you? Please, Rand, pick up the pace
.
The rattles and squeaks of the wagon, the clip-clopping of the team’s hooves, Per’s jabbering to whatever he saw while standing at the side of the wagon bed with Ruby holding securely to the back of his shift, were all part and parcel of an ordinary trip from town. Other than no one had much more to say.
Opal leaned down and began unbuttoning the sides of her shoes so she could undress more quickly. She thought back over the conversation. ‘‘You said there was a surprise.’’
‘‘That’s right. I did, didn’t I?’’ Rand glanced out the side of his eye. ‘‘Took you a while.’’
Seems I got some heavy stuff on my mind
. ‘‘I sure hope it has to do with horses. They’re much simpler to deal with than life in general.’’
‘‘Got to say an amen to that.’’ Rand tipped his hat up with one finger. ‘‘We were rejoicing over a good roundup, healthy cattle, and then trouble blindsides us. Keeps us from getting cocky, that’s for sure.’’ He put his feet up on the kickboard and rested his elbows on his legs. ‘‘One good thing though, that new hand over at Robertsons’, he handled the burial like a preacher. Makes me curious about his background. We sure could use a real preacher around here.’’
‘‘He’s not said anything?’’
‘‘No, but then you never know what drives people to head west. I heard he was from Pennsylvania. Not much of a cattleman but good on farming. He cleaned and oiled that used mower we bought, sharpened the blades, got it running better than new.’’
‘‘Edith blushes every time she looks at him. He gets the biggest piece of cake whenever she is serving.’’ Ruby’s chuckle brought a ‘‘ma’’ and a giggle from Per.
‘‘Is he always this happy?’’ Opal turned sideways in the seat so she could watch him.
‘‘Seems so. Hope the next one is the same.’’ Ruby grabbed him and gave him a big smacker on the cheek.
‘‘Ma.’’ He wiggled and giggled and chattered at her.
‘‘Lord help us when he can talk.’’ Rand eased the team back to a walk when they crested the final hill.
Opal stared out at the ranch, painted in the greens and golds of pure peace. What she wouldn’t give to never leave again. But what if Atticus and his family had already left? What about all her dreams to take good care of him? To help make him whole again?
The sound of someone crying in the night woke Ruby. She slid out of bed without disturbing Rand and tiptoed down the hall to Opal’s room. Once seated on the bed, she stroked Opal’s shoulder.
This had to be about Atticus. Opal had come home from the Gradys’ and gone about her chores without saying a word. Her eyes were deep pools of hurt.
‘‘He h-hates me.’’ Opal’s weeping shook the bed.
‘‘No, I don’t believe that for a moment. I’m sure he hates what has happened to him.’’
‘‘I said he should stay here. I’d take care of him.’’
Oh, Lord, and him so proud and wounded
. ‘‘I see.’’
‘‘I could make him better. I know I could.’’ Opal rolled onto her back, using the sheet to wipe her face. ‘‘Sometimes healing takes a while.’’
‘‘That it does.’’
And you have no idea how bad hurt he was. It’s a
miracle he’s still alive. His poor ma said he wants to die rather than live
crippled
.
‘‘He told me once not to tease about us marrying.’’ She rubbed her eyes like a tired child. ‘‘Now he wouldn’t even look at me.’’ She sat up and folded into Ruby’s loving arms. ‘‘Told me to go away. He didn’t want me around, getting underfoot and all.’’
Oh, Atticus, how you’ve wounded my dear sister
.
‘‘He blames me. I know he does.’’
‘‘No. He blames those men. His ma told me that. Said he smiled when he heard they got shot. But then he cried when he learned of Robertson’s death. Sometimes people get better from head wounds like his. We have to pray for that.’’